


Cooking Up Something

by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, F/M, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, Humor, Marauders in Slytherin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26499190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns/pseuds/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns
Summary: Remus didn't know what he was doing wrong, but thankfully he has a lady to give him some advice.
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Kudos: 17





	Cooking Up Something

**Author's Note:**

> Slytherin!Marauders / Confident!Remus

If looks could kill, Sirius would be at the bottom of the Black Lake.

His head was dramatically tilted to the side as he examined the cookies on Remus' platter. His lips were puckered just a smidge like he was serious. Remus was seriously thinking about hexing his friend so his face would remain frozen that way.

"Are they supposed to be so…" Sirius commented. "...lopsided?"

"No," Remus exclaimed with a bit of a higher tone than he'd have liked. "It's just the filling is all."

Remus heard heavy-booted steps coming closer. It was James, and he wrapped his around Remus' shoulders.

James clicked his tongue as he looked at the desserts in Remus' hand. "Tch, sorry mate. That's not just the filling."

It took Remus a moment to not growl out his frustrations and keep them from seeing his faint blush. He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and released it.

"Look, Moony," Sirius straightened up and held his hands up in surrender, "you can't chew my head off when _you_ asked for my opinion. 'Sides, who cares about how they look anyway? I'm sure they're still edible."

"I care and so does Professor Coderre," Remus replied.

James snorted and pivoted so he would be standing in front of Remus and next to Sirius. He folded his arms and shook his head. "For the life of me, I don't understand why you're partaking in that bloody cooking club. You already have us! We're a pretty amazing club if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you," Remus retorted. "I love being a Marauder, but damn it all if I want to attempt something different before we graduate. It's not like it's helping me focus on keeping _Moony_ at bay, right?"

Sirius sniffed and turned his head. The git knew that Remus would still pick up on the 'could've fooled me' mutter, but he did it anyway. James hung his head and cleared his throat, kicking up the heel of his boot.

"When you put it that way, doesn't sound too bad," James jabbed his elbow in Sirius' ribcage. "Does it?"

Sirius grunted at the assault, but he managed to respond without too big of a pout. "Nah, mate. Chef Wolfycake has a nice ring to it."

The platter in Remus' hands began to bend underneath his fingertips as he looked at the growing, cheeky grin on Sirius' face. James had to notice because he raised a finger.

"Have you seen Peter? I'm sure he'd wanna try a taste of those macarons," he asked.

Remus blinked, slightly embarrassed that his wolf side was getting defensive over his cooking abilities. "Uh, I reckon he's with Macdonald again in the library. She's been tutoring him in Potions."

"He better watch out for those lionesses in Gryffindor," James said with a chuckle, "they're known to have some wild tendencies."

Sirius scoffed and clapped both James' and Remus' shoulders. "Yeah? Well, we're wilder."

The trio began to laugh together, but there was still some lingering dejection inside Remus. Why couldn't he just get it right?

* * *

When Professor Coderre, the Muggle Studies teacher, initially introduced the Culinary Club, Remus had no intention of joining. What was so special about learning the Muggle way of cooking when magic was right at their fingertips? Though the more he thought about it, the more interest Remus had.

Firstly, he knew that there would be chocolate included in a recipe at some point; how could he deny himself of his favorite treat?

Secondly, the techniques displayed through the cutting, mixing, and everything in between was actually therapeutic. There was something soothing about the way they had to focus that put even his wolf side at ease.

Thirdly, this could be a good arsenal of information to have if he wanted to surprise his lover one day. Granted, he didn't have a lover at the moment, nor did he _really_ think he would have one, but...just in case?

He'd been right about the chocolate and the 'slicing and dicing' therapy sessions. What had partially caught his attention, or rather who was one of his fellow club members: Narcissa Malfoy.

Don't get him wrong, he expected a pureblood or two to join the club, moreso her sister Andy, but he did not expect the witch who could get what she wanted with the swish of her wand. He supposed that's what made her such a wild card.

Turned out she was damn near perfect as a chef. Her concentration was admirable, and her precision was one to be envied. Fortunately, Remus hadn't stared too long in his admiration.

The bloody Alpha gene in him wanted to show how good he could be as well, and there was hardly anything he could do to stop it. Thus far the recipes they were cooking had been top-notch and received Outstandings.

Until the professor introduced macarons.

The instructions and ingredients seemed simple enough at first, and Remus was ready to take on the challenge.

The first time he made the filling too thick.

The second time the cookies burned around the edges.

This third time Sirius practically compared them to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Remus would get this right if it was the last thing he did, so he headed for the private kitchens—an old classroom transfigured into their cooking space—-to try once more. No one should be there, so he would be free to work as he pleased.

* * *

Half an hour later, Remus hadn't gotten far at all. He had mixing bowls everywhere, measuring cups strewn in front of him, and ingredients set in any free space between them; everything he tried came out looking like the result beforehand.

Frustration set in, and the brunette threw a spoon into the bowl in front of him. The enhanced strength he possessed in the throw caused the bowl to fly swiftly across the room. The mixture splattered near the doorway, and the bowl clattered to the floor.

The bowl didn't move any further because someone at the door stopped its movements and picked it up.

Remus ran a hand through his hair, effectively blending in flour streaks, as he watched a skeptical Narcissa saunter through the room.

"Attempting one of your pranks after curfew all by your lonesome?" she asked, an unmistakable taunt in her tone. "My, someone's growing up."

He couldn't stop himself from snorting. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Cissa?"

Narcissa's eye twitched at first, but she didn't respond so quickly. Instead, she kept her composure, quirked a brow, and approached Remus. They were probably a foot or so apart, and she set the bowl back on the counter.

"It's your patience," she answered simply, whispering a spell to clean her fingers.

The answer threw Remus off. He shook his head quickly and returned the gesture by quirking his brow.

"Beg your pardon?" he asked.

She chuckled lightly, her gaze still resting on his. "I can't help but notice your repeated failures in the macaron recipe," she said. "I'm sure you acquired that dramatic trait from my cousin. While there are notable traits from your lycanthropy, I can safely say Sirius is very much more outlandish than any wolf."

He loved Sirius, but Remus couldn't argue with that.

"Anyhow, if I want to be a true cuisinier and future hostess to the best parties in England, I have to provide and teach as well as learn from my food." Narcissa adjusted the tight bun on her head and conjured an apron to tie around her form.

Remus remained speechless. What could he say? The cheeky responses that would typically form were not there.

She gestured towards the ingredients that Remus had out already and looked back up to Remus. "Your batter is too 'young' in a sense, Wolf," she said. "You have to let it age properly in order for the rounds to set. Furthermore, your frosting isn't cooled as long as it should be after you've finished mixing it. If you worked on your patience it wouldn't take you more tries than necessary."

"Huh," was all Remus could say. He didn't think about his patience that way. Probably because patience wasn't exactly a virtue unless it pertained to a prank.

"If you weren't letting the rest of that unruly group of yours affect your time and precision, you wouldn't have to be taught by a lady," she said as if reading her mind.

Narcissa had a small smile, but it was smug and cheeky as her blue eyes scanned over Remus. He naturally grinned slyly back, sniffing and looking around.

"Doesn't the old books say that everything needs a lady's touch?" he replied. James would be proud. Sirius would be horrified.

"You really are growing up, Wolf," Narcissa said as she placed a hand on her hip. "Now are you going to test your patience for these macarons or are you going to stand there all evening."

Remus looked around the room one more time then glanced down at Narcissa. "No worries, Cissa, I'll be cooking up something."

The conjured flour hand slapping his cheek was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition and HSWW (Challenges and Assignments) on Fanfiction.net


End file.
